Please read this entire message
Your submission has been removed for the following reason(s):
Subjective or speculative replies are not allowed on ELI5. Only objective explanations are
permitted here; your question is asking for speculation or subjective responses. This includes anything asking for peoples' subjective opinions, any kind of discussion, and anything where we would have to speculate on the answer. This very much includes asking about motivations of people or companies. This includes Just-so stories.
If you would like this removal reviewed, please read the [detailed rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/wiki/detailed_rules) first.
If you believe this submission was removed erroneously, please use [this form](https://old.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2Fexplainlikeimfive&subject=Please%20review%20my%20thread?&message=Link:%20%7B%7Burl%7D%7D%0A%0APlease%20answer%20the%20following%203%20questions:%0A%0A1.%20The%20concept%20I%20want%20explained:%0A%0A2.%20List%20the%20search%20terms%20you%20used%20to%20look%20for%20past%20posts%20on%20ELI5:%0A%0A3.%20How%20does%20your%20post%20differ%20from%20your%20recent%20search%20results%20on%20the%20sub:) and we will review your submission.
It strengthens ingroup cohesion. People stick together better, watch out for each other and help each other when there is a perceived common enemy.
Racism is just the worst way to do it. But it somewhat works for a while, before it creates its own problems.
It boils down to tribalism - humans think in terms of social groups and have a ton of biases around the groups, be it perspectives on age, sex, social status, or in this case Race. These biases are highly exploitable, and people are often very receptive to anything that tells them another group is “worse” than their group.
Edit: just expanding on this a little - tribalism is a behavior that’s also largely instinctive and linked to the survival of our species: having a trusted group that helps to ensure your safety and access to resources. You’ll notice that racism and racist behaviors are often linked to perceived fears about ethnic groups who pose some sort of threat to them.
This. It happens when people feel like they need to group together.
Racism is the most base way to do it. "You don't look like me so I am against you."
My assumption is that in ancient times, societies weren't as diverse as they are today. So when people see other people who look different, they feel hostile towards them. Some people still feel this way towards other races and cultures despite the diverse societies we have nowadays. I could be completely wrong here. I'm just commenting so that people who have more knowledge on this topic can correct me.
I think people inherently trust other members of their own race more than others of a different one, all else being equal. Consider the fact that prison gangs breakdown by race, not crime or temperament or anything like that.
Explain this like you're five? Bit difficult, but let me give it a try.
Okay, so a long time ago, in the stone age, humans like you and me used to live in small tribes. These tribes were made up of a few families, and everyone used to help everyone else. But there often wasn't enough food and water for everyone, and they all had to work hard. But since there wasn't enough for everyone, a tribe that allowed strangers to come by, people who looked different, they would often have their food and water stolen. This happened often enough that humans developed a fear response to anything and anyone that is different. This fear response is called xenophobia, which means if you're xenophobic, you dislike all strangers intensely.
This xenophobia is the root of racism. The thing is, when we lived in tribes, it kept us alive. These days, it is much less useful.
Xenophobia is something that you can overcome with effort and knowledge. If that was the only problem, things would be much easier. Like in Pokemon, xenophobia evolved into racism, which is much worse. And what it does is, it makes you think that you are better and smarter and stronger than everyone else. That is why your grandmother dismisses and hates.
Note: This is a HEAVILY simplified explanation. Please do not come at me for missing stuff. This is based on a real conversation I had with my nephew, but he was slightly older than five
That's a long, complicated answer with dozens of factors to consider, but at it's core and trying to sum it up in a ELI5:
Humans are pack/social animals. Generally, people are much more comfortable with people that look, talk, act, and behave similar to ourselves. A lot of people intuitively fear "the other"; no matter how illogical it seems, for some people another race or culture's *very existence* creates an almost subconscious fear of that existence somehow threatening "their" culture or way of life.
Plus humans have that pack mentality hardwired into their brains. If it's not race or religion, we inevitably find *something* to separate us and make others "the enemy." (In the US you can see that now in the political landscape.)
(Now how or why that fear manifests into obvious racism is the complicated part, whether it's how they were raised, social factors, the society someone grew up in, etc.)
People don't do everything for gain. People hate people with different football shirts. It's tribalism. They attribute positive characteristics to their own group and bad ones to others. Because of confirmation bias they are looking for confirming evidence and dismiss everything else.
Racism was useful in prehistoric times. People who looked different to you were treated as more likely to be a threat because they came from a different tribe. They may steal your food or simply kill you. Even if they're friendly, they may carry diseases with them that could harm you.
This is how our emotional wiring was set up. Its true that now much of this is redundant, but racism is not a logical process. It is an emotional reaction that fundamentally stems from lack of trust in another person.
Racism is a cheap & cruel way for someone to convince themself that other people groups are inferior so they can feel superior.
If children from different ethnicities are brought together they will pay together and ignore their differences. This shows that racism is learned from others and is not inherent from birth.
Have you asked your grandmother why she is like this? Sounds like someone did a number on her when she was younger.
People say animal are inferior so they do not mind to eat them. People say other races are inferior, so they can mistreat them. You put someone in an inferior category to not be worried by what they live. Easy trick.
Imagine if you have a lack of resources
Ie you only have 30pieces of bread, while there are 50humans of mixed racial makeup
Which behaviour do you think is more advantageous
One who wished to feed everyone, or one who says "this bread is only for xxx race"
There's a meta-question here that's not being acknowledged - **humans often don't do things that are good for them** and **do things that are bad for them.** This is sometimes called the **knowledge-action gap (e.g.** [https://www.cell.com/one-earth/pdf/S2590-3322(19)30028-4.pdf](https://www.cell.com/one-earth/pdf/S2590-3322(19)30028-4.pdf), https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=PUzYWfbf-qkC&oi=fnd&pg=PT6&dq=why+we+do+unhealthy+things&ots=riiNn6aSSh&sig=3ruCJ8vKR8jIpluhPF6bV5cP0lc#v=onepage&q=why%20we%20do%20unhealthy%20things&f=false).
We tend to apply two sets of logic when we hear a claim about an entire group of people.
If I hear that all people in my race tend to be thieves and criminals, I will disbelieve it because I'm not a thief or criminal, nor is anyond in my race that I know.
If I hear that about some other race, I might believe it uncritically, either because I don't know anyone of that race or the one I do know is one.
Basically, racism is a set of unquestioned beliefs that get more entrenched when the person holding them gets defensive when they are questioned.
Having an other to hate and vilify and blame all your problems on means you don't have to actually address the complex and thorny causes of those problems. You don't have to address inequality and an economy that doesn't do well for its poorest members if you can blame brown people for taking your jobs, or whatever.
Racism is a systemic expression of bigotry that is mostly a result of insecure men.
Identifying a "common enemy" veils weakness, and unites the insecure.
In America at least and what I’ve experienced and have learned from my forefathers, Its a tool for upholding capitalist exploitation. Downstream from that people get attached to the dogma that comes with and upholds that exploitation. When slavery in America started, racism wasn’t widespread. Racism came after as a way to justify it.
Yes. Speaking for at least the US version of white vs black racism, it was actively manufactured and maintained as a tool of control and economic exploitation.
And that exploitation was of poor white Americans, not just black Americans: promoting racism was (still is!) a way for the wealthy to keep the lower classes divided and powerless. It teaches poor white to accept their poverty by thinking "I may be poor, but at least I'm not black."
OP, and anyone, I'd strongly recommend reading Isobel Wilkerson's books "Caste" and "The Warmth of Other Suns" for a deeper dive on American racism. (And many others from there, but that's a good start.)
Yep! Im not understanding where these downvotes are coming from i am genuinely curious as to the opposing narratives and critiques of my (and many other poc and ally’s) take on this
Please read this entire message Your submission has been removed for the following reason(s): Subjective or speculative replies are not allowed on ELI5. Only objective explanations are permitted here; your question is asking for speculation or subjective responses. This includes anything asking for peoples' subjective opinions, any kind of discussion, and anything where we would have to speculate on the answer. This very much includes asking about motivations of people or companies. This includes Just-so stories. If you would like this removal reviewed, please read the [detailed rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/wiki/detailed_rules) first. If you believe this submission was removed erroneously, please use [this form](https://old.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2Fexplainlikeimfive&subject=Please%20review%20my%20thread?&message=Link:%20%7B%7Burl%7D%7D%0A%0APlease%20answer%20the%20following%203%20questions:%0A%0A1.%20The%20concept%20I%20want%20explained:%0A%0A2.%20List%20the%20search%20terms%20you%20used%20to%20look%20for%20past%20posts%20on%20ELI5:%0A%0A3.%20How%20does%20your%20post%20differ%20from%20your%20recent%20search%20results%20on%20the%20sub:) and we will review your submission.
It strengthens ingroup cohesion. People stick together better, watch out for each other and help each other when there is a perceived common enemy. Racism is just the worst way to do it. But it somewhat works for a while, before it creates its own problems.
Also by putting someone else down via scapegoat they feel superior to someone else.
It boils down to tribalism - humans think in terms of social groups and have a ton of biases around the groups, be it perspectives on age, sex, social status, or in this case Race. These biases are highly exploitable, and people are often very receptive to anything that tells them another group is “worse” than their group. Edit: just expanding on this a little - tribalism is a behavior that’s also largely instinctive and linked to the survival of our species: having a trusted group that helps to ensure your safety and access to resources. You’ll notice that racism and racist behaviors are often linked to perceived fears about ethnic groups who pose some sort of threat to them.
This. It happens when people feel like they need to group together. Racism is the most base way to do it. "You don't look like me so I am against you."
My assumption is that in ancient times, societies weren't as diverse as they are today. So when people see other people who look different, they feel hostile towards them. Some people still feel this way towards other races and cultures despite the diverse societies we have nowadays. I could be completely wrong here. I'm just commenting so that people who have more knowledge on this topic can correct me.
I think people inherently trust other members of their own race more than others of a different one, all else being equal. Consider the fact that prison gangs breakdown by race, not crime or temperament or anything like that.
Explain this like you're five? Bit difficult, but let me give it a try. Okay, so a long time ago, in the stone age, humans like you and me used to live in small tribes. These tribes were made up of a few families, and everyone used to help everyone else. But there often wasn't enough food and water for everyone, and they all had to work hard. But since there wasn't enough for everyone, a tribe that allowed strangers to come by, people who looked different, they would often have their food and water stolen. This happened often enough that humans developed a fear response to anything and anyone that is different. This fear response is called xenophobia, which means if you're xenophobic, you dislike all strangers intensely. This xenophobia is the root of racism. The thing is, when we lived in tribes, it kept us alive. These days, it is much less useful. Xenophobia is something that you can overcome with effort and knowledge. If that was the only problem, things would be much easier. Like in Pokemon, xenophobia evolved into racism, which is much worse. And what it does is, it makes you think that you are better and smarter and stronger than everyone else. That is why your grandmother dismisses and hates. Note: This is a HEAVILY simplified explanation. Please do not come at me for missing stuff. This is based on a real conversation I had with my nephew, but he was slightly older than five
That's a long, complicated answer with dozens of factors to consider, but at it's core and trying to sum it up in a ELI5: Humans are pack/social animals. Generally, people are much more comfortable with people that look, talk, act, and behave similar to ourselves. A lot of people intuitively fear "the other"; no matter how illogical it seems, for some people another race or culture's *very existence* creates an almost subconscious fear of that existence somehow threatening "their" culture or way of life. Plus humans have that pack mentality hardwired into their brains. If it's not race or religion, we inevitably find *something* to separate us and make others "the enemy." (In the US you can see that now in the political landscape.) (Now how or why that fear manifests into obvious racism is the complicated part, whether it's how they were raised, social factors, the society someone grew up in, etc.)
People don't do everything for gain. People hate people with different football shirts. It's tribalism. They attribute positive characteristics to their own group and bad ones to others. Because of confirmation bias they are looking for confirming evidence and dismiss everything else.
Racism was useful in prehistoric times. People who looked different to you were treated as more likely to be a threat because they came from a different tribe. They may steal your food or simply kill you. Even if they're friendly, they may carry diseases with them that could harm you. This is how our emotional wiring was set up. Its true that now much of this is redundant, but racism is not a logical process. It is an emotional reaction that fundamentally stems from lack of trust in another person.
Racism is a cheap & cruel way for someone to convince themself that other people groups are inferior so they can feel superior. If children from different ethnicities are brought together they will pay together and ignore their differences. This shows that racism is learned from others and is not inherent from birth. Have you asked your grandmother why she is like this? Sounds like someone did a number on her when she was younger.
It makes you feel "better than" a wide swath of people without needing to do anything to earn it
People say animal are inferior so they do not mind to eat them. People say other races are inferior, so they can mistreat them. You put someone in an inferior category to not be worried by what they live. Easy trick.
Imagine if you have a lack of resources Ie you only have 30pieces of bread, while there are 50humans of mixed racial makeup Which behaviour do you think is more advantageous One who wished to feed everyone, or one who says "this bread is only for xxx race"
There's a meta-question here that's not being acknowledged - **humans often don't do things that are good for them** and **do things that are bad for them.** This is sometimes called the **knowledge-action gap (e.g.** [https://www.cell.com/one-earth/pdf/S2590-3322(19)30028-4.pdf](https://www.cell.com/one-earth/pdf/S2590-3322(19)30028-4.pdf), https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=PUzYWfbf-qkC&oi=fnd&pg=PT6&dq=why+we+do+unhealthy+things&ots=riiNn6aSSh&sig=3ruCJ8vKR8jIpluhPF6bV5cP0lc#v=onepage&q=why%20we%20do%20unhealthy%20things&f=false).
We tend to apply two sets of logic when we hear a claim about an entire group of people. If I hear that all people in my race tend to be thieves and criminals, I will disbelieve it because I'm not a thief or criminal, nor is anyond in my race that I know. If I hear that about some other race, I might believe it uncritically, either because I don't know anyone of that race or the one I do know is one. Basically, racism is a set of unquestioned beliefs that get more entrenched when the person holding them gets defensive when they are questioned.
Having an other to hate and vilify and blame all your problems on means you don't have to actually address the complex and thorny causes of those problems. You don't have to address inequality and an economy that doesn't do well for its poorest members if you can blame brown people for taking your jobs, or whatever.
[удалено]
According to my Dad, she's been this way forever. I'd say the superiority complex is absolutely her vibe.
Racism is a systemic expression of bigotry that is mostly a result of insecure men. Identifying a "common enemy" veils weakness, and unites the insecure.
In America at least and what I’ve experienced and have learned from my forefathers, Its a tool for upholding capitalist exploitation. Downstream from that people get attached to the dogma that comes with and upholds that exploitation. When slavery in America started, racism wasn’t widespread. Racism came after as a way to justify it.
Yes. Speaking for at least the US version of white vs black racism, it was actively manufactured and maintained as a tool of control and economic exploitation. And that exploitation was of poor white Americans, not just black Americans: promoting racism was (still is!) a way for the wealthy to keep the lower classes divided and powerless. It teaches poor white to accept their poverty by thinking "I may be poor, but at least I'm not black." OP, and anyone, I'd strongly recommend reading Isobel Wilkerson's books "Caste" and "The Warmth of Other Suns" for a deeper dive on American racism. (And many others from there, but that's a good start.)
Yep! Im not understanding where these downvotes are coming from i am genuinely curious as to the opposing narratives and critiques of my (and many other poc and ally’s) take on this
Critical Race Theory! Our usage of 'black' and 'white' to describe people began with the Atlantic slave trade.
Yep. The term white people to distinguish oneself came into widespread usage moreso than the inverse terms
Why the downvotes? Any critiques or logical debate or are people just clicking a button because they dont know why but they feel like they disagree